The Nelsonville Music Festival is coming up fast and artists announced include both legends and up-and-comers.
Merle Haggard, St. Vincent and Trampled by Turtles are among the first acts announced for the 11th Nelsonville Music Festival.
Names will be announced up until the event, which will take place May 28 through 31. Last year’s festival drew about 7,000 people, said Brian Koscho, marketing director for Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville.
Hurray for Riff Raff, Moon Hooch and My Bubba were also announced as part of this year’s lineup.
Past festivals have booked popular country artists, including Willie Nelson and George Jones. Merle Haggard, a star in the country music scene for the past 70 years and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, will continue that tradition.
St. Vincent, an artist who specializes in powerful guitar riffs and rock music, is gaining popularity.
“She’s a real interesting artist. … She’s someone who still keeps challenging, with each new release she’s doing more and more new stuff,” Koscho said. “In her live shows she’s been incredible, and she went well with the festivals audience and with the fan base in the past years.”
Trampled by Turtles is an up-and-coming Americana band. The band is prominent in the indie-folk revival, something Koscho said is right in line with the music festival’s previous performances from acts such as The Avett Brothers and Shovels & Rope.
“People can expect the same great lineups that we’ve had in the past,” Koscho said. “We tend to focus on a pretty wide range of genres and try to bring in exciting groups both well known, and also people that are rising and will be up-and-coming as well.”
More than 50 acts performed in last year’s festival.
“There’s camping, there’s kids activities, there’s food, there’s great beer, there’s music all over the place,” Koscho said. “It’s always really exciting to have that many people all over the place having such a good time. The festival has really developed its own personality over the years.”
Stuart’s Opera House has begun selling weekend passes for the festival — $55 for teens and $110 for adults. Ticket prices will increase closer to the event.
@annachristine38
ag836912@ohio.edu
